From the moment they were born,
Noahâs two children had given his life new meaning. Once they were born, it took little more than a toothless smile to brighten his world. And now they were loving little beings who deserved to be loved right back.
By a womanâs gentle hands.
Heâd try to persuade Dara Mackenzie to marry him.
Dara was the woman God intended him to spend the rest of his days with; his prayers had convinced him, and Noah knew it like he knew the earth would continue spinning.
So somehow he had to convince her of that.
For his childrenâs sake.
Andâ¦for his own?
A full-time writer for more than twelve years, Loree Lough has produced more than two thousand published articles, dozens of short storiesâappearing in magazines here and abroadâand novels for children ages eight to twelve. The author of twenty inspirational romances (including the award-winning Pocketful of Love and Emmaâs Orphans, and bestsellers like Reluctant Valentine and Miracle on Kismet Hillâall from Barbour Books), she also writes as Cara McCormack and Aleesha Carter. A comedic conference speaker, Loree loves sharing in classroom settings what sheâs learned the hard way. And since her daughters, Elice and Valerie, have moved into homes of their own, Loree and husband Larry have been trying to figure out why some folks think the âempty-nest syndromeâ is a âbadâ thing.â¦
âThis is ridiculous,â she seethed, slamming the report onto the desk. âI refuse to believe my father could have done such a thing.â
Dara stood so abruptly her chair toppled over behind her. Noah Lucas gave the fallen chair a cursory glance before turning his dark-blue gaze to her. âIâm afraid itâs all right here in black and white.â
Dara uprighted the chair and ran a trembling hand through her hair.âThenâ¦there must be some mistake, becauseââ
âIâve been over these files three times. Numbers donât lie.â
Spoken like a true accountant, she reflected.
Ironically, Dara had been drumming that very lesson into her geometry and algebra studentsâ heads since she began teaching at Centennial High eight years earlier. Frowning, she looked from the computer readout to the corporationâs checkbook to the yearâs worth of her fatherâs bank statements. Moneyâgreat sums of itâhad been moved from the company coffers into Jake Mackenzieâs personal account. Hands clasped beneath her chin, Dara paced beside the desk. âWho could have done such a thing?â she wondered aloud. âAnd why?â
He heaved an exasperated sigh. âI have no idea why the man would do anything so foolish. I mean, surely he realized that sooner or later, heâd be found out.â Shaking his head, he added, âHow he managed to get away with it through last tax season is a mysterââ
Her pacing came to an abrupt halt beside the desk. âI donât like what youâre implying, Mr. Lucas.â
He got to his feet, planted both powerful palms flat on her fatherâs desk. âIâm not implying anything, Miss Mackenzie. My accounting firm was hired by the board of directors to examineâ¦â He smiled patronizingly. âFor the sake of protocol, letâs just say we were called in to investigate certain, ah, incongruities in Pinnacle Constructionâs books. Lucas and Associates has earned its reputation for being able to solve problems like this.â
âProblems like what?â Agitated, Dara pointed at the paperwork on the desk. âYou call that evidence?â She rolled her eyes. âInnuendo and suppositionâthatâs all youâve got there. And Iââ
His long-lashed blue eyes narrowed to slits. âInnuendo and supposition?â The intended humor in Lucasâs resonant laugh never made it to his eyes. âMore than two hundred thousand dollars disappeared in the past eighteen months.â He thumped the printout, then nodded at the bank statements. Sarcasm rang loud in his voice when he added, âAnd by some strange coincidence, thatâs exactly how much was deposited in your fatherâs savings account.â
Dara opened her mouth to protest, to defend her fatherâ s good name. But Lucas held up a hand to forestall any attempt at rationalization she might make. âI realize itâs not much consolation,â he said, âconsidering the ramifications, but Iâm as surprised as you are. Jake Mackenzieâs reputation as an honest businessman earned him the respect of his contemporaries up and down the East Coast. Frankly, heâs the last person I would have suspected of stealing from his own partner.â
Gasping, Daraâs eyes widened. âHow dare you call my father aâ¦aâ¦â She swallowed, unable to say the word.